Stay
by Alexsangirl
Summary: A story taken from the rp site St. Sanctum Academy, an Alternate Universe with anime characters of all kinds. This one is about Xigbar and Luxord. Luxord is a 14-year-old and Xigbar is-or-was a Gym teacher. Heh. -slash!- XigLux
1. Chapter 1

_**Note: Er...should point this out. Luxord is NOT emo. Just to get that point straight. He's just suicidal...umm...yeah... this is AU. Deal with it. Oh, and Axel is a total ass. Srsly.**_

It wasn't exactly midnight, but it wasn't the time a fourteen year-old boy should be walking outside where it's near bellow freezing as snow piled to the ground, adding even more of the white death trap than was needed.The blonde boy didn't seem to care much either, obviously, because he wasn't even wearing the proper clothes to be out in this weather. The only thing close to being helpful was a jacket he held closer to him as he saw a house not too far away.

It was Xigbar's, the only person he felt comfortable with at the time. Luxord was on the brink of desperation. What Axel had tried to do not too long ago was the last straw, and he had to get out of that place, even without telling Fakuxi (otherwise known as Xi), which he regretted-but she wasn't there when it happened and he didn't have the time. Shivering and trying to keep feeling in his limbs as the numbness was taking hold, he stopped at the man's door and knocked on it, hard to believe he even had the strength to make even the slightest noise. He prayed Xigbar was awake...or a light sleeper.

Indeed Xigbar was awake, scanning over a book in his hands with one good eye as he sipped on a large mug of what appeared to be hot chocolate. He wasn't exactly enjoying himself, considering that being alone was truly not as great as it sounded. He looked up in response to the knock and got up, checking the LCD clock on his wall. It was late. _'Who could be knocking at this hour?'_ Setting down his mug and book, he trailed out of the kitchen, through a neat hallway (not that the rest of his house wasn't) and to the front door, unlatching it and opening it up. What he saw surprised him. "Luxord?" He stepped back and widened the entry space. "What are you doing outside in this weather?"

It took everything in Luxord to keep his voice steady as he shivered in the cold, "L-long story...actually..." he replied, feigning a smile to the best of his ability before he found himself about ready to break down.

"Come in," Xigbar bade him, stepping back again and pulling the door with him. "I won't have you freezing to death outside. Get in here."

Luxord nodded weakly and walked inside, staring at his snow filled shoes and sniffed, "Woops...s-sorry about the mess."

"It's fine. Not like it won't melt." Xigbar shut the door and locked it, getting a broom and sweeping off Luxord's shoes. "Just take them off so you won't track in water."

Luxord did as was told and made sure that he didn't make a worse mess with the snow. He took off his jacket soon after and put it where it belonged on the coat rack. "Um," he looked up at Xigbar, "I'm really sorry for bothering you-I didn't know where else to go..."

"Hey, I'm glad you came here," Xigbar told him, "I don't want you wandering around like that again, though, alright? If you have to, call me to come and get you." He motioned Luxord down the hall and into the kitchen, where he proceeded to go and pour Luxord a hot mug of cocoa.

"Alright," he answered, taking a seat at the table and folding his hands on his lap to keep them from shaking and so Xigbar couldn't see. Luxord had been trying to hide the fact he was an emotional and nervous wreck at this point, and was doing a pretty good job of it so far. Luxord didn't want to crack too soon.

"So..." Xigbar mused, setting the mug down in front of the boy and sitting down on the adjacent side of the table. "What's going on that sent you out into the streets and to my house like this?"

"The usual..." Luxord replied, "Just worse." His reply was short, and he kept it like that. He didn't feel like going into detail. Luxord probably never would want to in the first place. He held the mug in his hands and stared into the brown liquid, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "Seems to keep getting worse everyday now..."

"So, it's Axel again, I take it?" Xigbar inquired as he sipped on his own mug, trying to remember if he had anything worth eating with the drinks they had.

Luxord nodded without saying anything and finally took a sip of the hot chocolate. "It...wasn't exactly the same thing that normally goes on when we get in a fight..." he swallowed another drink to try to keep his voice from shaking. "He was in my room...and...things got out of hand."

"Was there no one around to report to?" Xigbar asked, "He isn't allowed in your room without your consent..."

"There wasn't a point," Luxord said with a heavy sigh, "He left...before I could say anything..." Despite the fact he left out all of the details, he still looked about ready to break. He lowered his hands under the table again and held them to keep from shaking.

"What did he do...?" Xigbar looked almost half-afraid to ask, but knew that if they were going to get anywhere that something would have to be said.

Luxord didn't answer right away and he stared up at the ceiling, "We just...got in a fight...it was just worse than normal," he answered, practically giving him the same answer from a few moments ago.

"What was the fight about?" Xigbar asked him, "Obviously he rubbed you the wrong way a lot worse today if he got you to leave the school and come here in the middle of the night..."

"It really wasn't about anything in particular...it was more physical than anything," Luxord muttered, glad that no bruises had shown up anywhere just yet. That didn't mean he didn't feel the after affects. He was practically sore all over. Luxord hesitantly took another sip, careful that his sleeves covered any fresh scars from the past couple of days.

Xigbar looked over at him from where he sat, conducting a quick visual inspection of his ward. "Do you need something for pain? Ice or something?" He hadn't expected Luxord to look quite this... composed after a physical fight. He was impressed, and yet he wasn't.

Luxord blinked after hearing Xigbar's voice, as if his mind had wondered off. "What? Oh...I guess," he answered, shifting in his seat slightly. He felt tired, hurt, and about ready to keel over at any minute. He rested his head against the table and groaned, "I swear...if Axel comes near me again, I'm going to kill the bloody fuck..." It wasn't like him to curse, but Axel had pushed him to the limit and his voice cracked.

Xigbar was now rather alarmed, and in an instant, he put one hand on Luxord's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. Just...try to relax. I think you could make due with some sleep."

Luxord lifted his head from off the table and looked at Xigbar tiredly, "Yeah...I haven't been getting any lately..." he muttered, looking away.

"Well, we know what needs to be done first then," Xigbar told him. "We'll finish up here and you can go to sleep. Maybe the rest will help your mind some. At least Axel can't bother you here."

Luxord sighed deeply again and sat up, staring at his mug. "I know," He took a sip of the hot chocolate and closed his eyes for a moment, "But I don't know how much more I can take in that place..."

"I figure it has to be pretty rotten back there. As if I don't already know." Xigbar worked there, after all. "But try not to think about it right now."

"Easy for you to say," the teenager muttered, finishing his drink. He appeared ready to pass out from mental and emotional exhaustion. Lux was lucky that he hadn't broken down just yet. He would kill himself later if he did.

"I know it's easier said than done," replied the one-eyed man as he gathered their mugs and stood up, taking them over to the sink and setting them down inside of the basin. "I'm only asking you to try."

Luxord shrugged his shoulders and looked on ahead as he got out of his chair and rubbed his arms to make him feel warmer. "Yeah...I know that, but..." he trailed off. "You don't know what went on...and you don't want to, either."

"If you don't want to talk about it, it's fine," Xigbar commented, heading over to the thermostat on the wall and turning it up. "For now, let's try to get some shuteye. That way we can think on this a little more clear-mindedly tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, sure," Luxord said with a yawn, running his fingers through his hair momentarily before staring blankly at the wall and shaking slightly. He suddenly didn't feel good at all. "Uh, Xigbar? Where's the bathroom again?" he asked weakly.

"I have two. The closest one is across the hall." He pointed, having a vague idea about what was about to occur.

Luxord hurried to the bathroom and shut the door, leaning onto the toilet. He didn't know exactly what set him off, but whatever he had for breakfast, lunch and dinner, was now completely out of his system after he was done spewing. With another flush, he shakily got off of his knees and went to the sink, washing his face and resting his head against the porcelain, "God, I hate my life..."

Xigbar stood outside of the door, waiting for him to come out. His arms were crossed over his chest, and if one wasn't mistaken, the slightest look of worry was on his face. "Hey.." he called in, "You okay in there?"

"Fine!" Luxord said quickly, cursing when his voice practically squeaked. "I'm...fine." He opened the door and forced a smile, "See? I'm not dead, so I must be fine."

Upon the door opening, Xig's nose caught the scent of the up-chuck, and without a word, he put his hand behind the wall and flipped the air vent switch to the "on" position. "We'll let that air out. The other bathroom is across from the guest room upstairs. Just in case you need it again. I'll get you a trashcan just in case, though."

"I don't think there is anything left inside me," Luxord said, rubbing his face, "to tell you the truth..."

"You don't need anything left aside from bile, Luxord," replied the older male as he started to lead the way up the steps. While walking, he picked up a small trashcan.

Luxord shrugged weakly and followed, feeling worse by the second, and not the feeling he had moments ago. He stared at his wrists in front of him, careful to not let Xigbar see what was under the sleeves. He felt the fabric with his fingers to try to keep his mind off of what happened before he came here. How much longer could he possibly take before he lost it completely?

Xigbar led the way up the stairs, going directly to his left and opening up a door to reveal a room that was furnished with a large bed and a couple of pieces of furniture. The man silently slid the can to the side of the bed, turning to a room across from it and opening the door up: there was the bathroom. "Alright. I think that's about everything you should need for tonight. If you need anything else, go ahead and wake me up. I'll leave my door open for you."

"All right, sure," Luxord replied with a nod, "Goodnight then..." he said quietly, walking into the bedroom. "What are you going to tell Headmaster Xemnas?" he finally asked, turning to face him. He was trying to hide the fact that he was afraid of the outcome.

"I'll tell him that I picked you up," Xigbar replied. "I won't have you getting into mud over Axel."

"Okay," Luxord actually smiled that time, "Thanks. I owe you a lot," he said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Yo, it's not a problem," Xigbar replied, stepping into his room and turning around, "Just give me a yell if you need something, alright?"

"I will," Luxord said, crawling into the bed and looking ready to pass out. The bruises from the fight were already starting to show finally. He knew he was going to hurt worse in the morning.

Xigbar flipped off the lights in the hall and his room before crawling into bed, conking out upon contact with his pillow. What a night it had been already. Maybe he'd have a better time concentrating tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

Luxord began twitching in his sleep, curling up and scratching at his arms as if they were covered with insects. Accompanied by horrific nightmares, it wasn't long-if you call four hours not long at all-until he woke up with a loud scream...and not the girly kind, either.

He covered his mouth, shaking violently and shutting his eyes tightly. He could smell blood on his fingers and he hesitated to look at his arms. Cursing, he saw that he had broken the healing scabs where he had cut a few nights ago. "What the hell is wrong with me..." he pulled his sleeves back down and huddled against the bedpost.

Xigbar had literally jumped right out of his bed and onto his feet at the sound of the scream, not waking up until he had landed. His first thought was the boy across the hall, and although still very groggy, he stumbled out of his bedroom, clad only in boxers, and knocked on Luxord's door, panting from the surprise.

Luxord heard the knock and flinched, wishing he hadn't woken up Xigbar. He wiped sweat and tears from his face with his sleeve and hesitated to say anything. "Y-yes...?"

"...You alright in there?" The man had more respect for privacy than some, thus not opening the door. "I heard a scream."

"Just fine," the boy lied, fighting himself to stay under control. "I didn't scream...did you leave the TV on or something?"

"Nope," Xigbar replied coolly, "I never leave anything like that on when I go to bed. Unless maybe someone tried to break in and hurt himself, there's no other place for that to have come from."

"Hmm, well, sorry," Luxord muttered as he got out of bed and wondered if he should clean his wounds once Xigbar went back to his room, "I have no idea what it was, then. Maybe it was a wild animal outside. Cats mating make horrible noises."

"I know what that sounds like," Xigbar mused, "That was definitely no cat..."

"Oh well," Luxord looked at his wrists again, glad that they had stopped bleeding. "I guess we'll never know, then."

"Suppose so..." Xigbar almost sounded suspicious, but he just shrugged and went back across the hall instead. "Goodnight, Luxord."

"Goodnight," he replied, listening carefully to Xigbar's retreating footsteps. Once he heard him leave, he slowly crept out of the room and walked towards the bathroom. He needed to clean himself up before Xigbar noticed it in the morning.

Luxord went quietly back to his room after he bandaged his wrists. He hesitated to go back to sleep, so he stayed up the rest of the night, only closing his eyes near the last two hours left before morning.

And with the sound of someone shooting the first crowing rooster of the morning (hypothetically), Xigbar was up with the sun, crawling down to the kitchen to start breakfast. His visible eye was barely cracked open, and he yawned from time to time, sipping on coffee.

It took a long while until Luxord found the will to wake up. The sun was peeping through the window and had almost blinded the boy when he forced his eyes open. "Bloody hell," he murmured, making himself get out of bed and stagger on down the steps when he heard that Xigbar was up.

From below, Xigbar could be heard belting out on a famous Italian opera piece, "Funicula", while trying to wake himself up. Better yet, he seemed to have the instrumental playing as he sang. He didn't sound half-bad, but it was something no one really expected from him. He was making pancakes. "Oooooooooooooooh!" came his longest note as he continued to cook.

Luxord stayed quiet and listened, trying not to smirk. Xigbar was terribly amusing, even so early in the morning. He stood and watched, not saying a word as he rubbed at his eyes and yawned here and there.

"Funiculi funicul- oh! SHIT!" Xigbar suddenly blurted, throwing his pancake and seeing it stick to the ceiling. He had just turned around saw Luxord. "How long have you been standing there..."

"Long enough to know that you can sing," Luxord said simply, eying the pancake on the ceiling. "Um, better catch that, it's about to fall off," he announced, watching it.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious..." Xigbar said, looking up in time for the pancake to splat down on his face - unfinished side down. He made a face. "I hope you weren't counting on that one..."

Luxord stifled a laugh and went for a paper towel to help him clean the pancake mess off his face, "Sorry. I should have announced myself, but I don't think you would have heard me at all, really."

"Oh, I would have heard you," Xigbar replied, peeling what he could off of his face and discarding into a trashcan. "This is nasty...I think it went in my mouth...and hair...and up my nose..."

Luxord finally laughed at that and shook his head, "It could have been worse. It might have been stuck up there for who knows how long, molding and festering who knows what," he said with a shrug, completely joking, of course. Mutating pancakes didn't REALLY exist. Right?

"Oh, don't even joke about that," Xigbar gagged.

"All right." Luxord crossed his arms. "I should probably get ready for school...did you call the Headmaster yet?" he asked, blinking.

"I should probably tell you that for the students who drive, there is a road advisory. I told Xemnas, and he told me to steer clear of the roads today. Looks like you've got the day off, buddy." The cyclops started pouring more pancake batter into the pan.

"Oh? All right, then." He was more than relieved. Luxord stretched for a moment with a yawn, forgetting that his sleeves rolled down, but once he saw a glimpse of his bandages showing, he lowered his arms just as quickly and covered them up again.

He was lucky that Xigbar had still been pouring. "So...what do you feel like doing on your day off?"

"I dunno," Luxord shrugged, sitting down at the table, "I'm up to anything, really."

"Well, first?" Slap. There was a pancake on a plate that was at Luxord's place. "Pancakes. Don't ask me for a "shmoke" to go with it." He was making fun of Goldmember from Austin Powers.

Luxord surprisingly got the joke, despite the fact he hadn't watched too many movies or shows for that matter. "Nah, that stuff gives you cancer anyway," he said with a smirk.

Xigbar chuckled. "So you know about the Austin Powers movies...I happen to have them on the shelf. I have a number of things, really, so we can watch what you like to kill some time."

"Sounds great," Luxord said, taking a bite of his pancake after he smothered it in syrup. "This is really good, by the way. I'm glad this one didn't fall on your face."

"I'm glad you like it," Xigbar chuckled, starting on his own pancakes and waiting for them to cook, "If I had dropped that one on my face, you'd be tasting aftershave with a hint of eyepatch."

"I somehow doubt there is such a flavor as 'eyepatch'," Luxord said with a slight grimace, "If there was, than I've heard of everything."

"It would probably taste slightly of vinyl cloth and tears," Xigbar replied, "My eyes water a lot." He flipped out his first pancake and started making the next one.

"Is that healthy?" Luxord asked, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe you should get that checked."

"It's normal for someone with a damaged eye," Xigbar assured him, getting his food and sitting down to dig in.

"Okay," Luxord said, not continuing on with the subject, considering it wasn't all that important. He took another bite and looked around. "So...did you ever find the source to that noise...?" he asked the question without realizing it. He winced, thinking it must have been a subconscious thing.

"Not really," Xigbar answered over a bite of pancake, "Not that whatever it was would be here after that long."

"Hmm," came Luxord's response. "Xemnas didn't...ask any questions about me and Axel...did he? I mean...Axel didn't spread anything around...?"

"Nothing whatsoever," replied Xigbar sagely, "I think you're safe." He took another big bite of his food.

"That's a surprise..." Luxord muttered, taking another bite. "Normally he brags about our...fights all the time."

"Axel's just an asshole because he's jealous and he wants you," Xigbar mentioned. It had been a pretty frequent phrase that came out of him in these situations, and now was no different.

Luxord visibly flinched at that remark, fighting back the temptation of throwing up what he just ate. He did his best to hide the reaction and took a drink of his milk. "I don't want to think about that..."

"Who would? I'm kinda hoping they expel the little bastard," muttered back the older man, "He's the reason I was demoted so many times..."

"Heh, I thought that was because of me," Luxord said with a grin, shaking off the mood of being disturbed when Xigbar made the statement earlier.

"I'm going to assume then," Xigbar said calmly, "That what Axel did is in the ballpark of what I said."

Luxord's face paled and he lowered his fork. "W-what?" he asked, dumbfounded. He looked like a helpless faun caught in the headlights for the first time.

"I'm addressing what happened yesterday, Luxord." The man pushed his plate to the side and leaned his elbows on the table, weaving his fingers together. He was calm for Luxord's sake, though he was a raging storm (toward Axel) on the inside. "I need to know what happened."

"I told you what happened," Luxord said stiffly, staring down at his plate. "It's nothing like you said..."

Xigbar sighed and shook his head. "We both know that's not true. I wish you'd tell me what really went on."

"I don't...want to talk about it," Luxord forced out, trying to keep his voice steady and calm. It wasn't working. His composure was shattered and it took every ounce of him to keep from shaking heavily.

"Luxord..." Xigbar pleaded, "I'm begging you. I want to know because I care and I want to help you. But I can't help if I don't know what went on..."

Luxord shot up to his feet, his expression showing frustration and anger. Tears were forming in his eyes. "You really want to know what happened?!" he shouted, "He fucking tried to kill me! But before that, he decided to have a little fun!" He had lost it then, backing away from the table and against the wall, shaking terribly and clutching himself in a tight hold. "That's what happened..." he choked, sinking to his knees.

Xigbar looked at Luxord sadly, trying to fathom what the boy had just blurted out. A little fun? _Kill him_? He got down onto the floor next to the boy and attempted to put his hand on the Luxord's shoulder. "Luxord...I had no idea..."

"Of course you had no idea..." Luxord's voice cracked and quivered and he let the tears fall. "And people wonder why I try to kill myself."

"...But...why didn't you tell me before?" Xigbar asked quietly.

"Because," Luxord inched away from him, "I'd rather...pretend it never happened...then keep facing it every God damn day," he snapped. He hadn't realized that he claimed that it happened more than once. He curled up more into himself and buried his face between his knees. The reasons there were never bruises or marks of any kind on Luxord's face, was because Axel was very careful about leaving signs. The real bruises and other injuries were elsewhere on Luxord's body.

"I wish you would have told me so that I could have helped get rid of him...you don't deserve this, Luxord. You shouldn't have to face that..." sympathized the one-eyed man, staying where he was.

"Heh, right," Luxord laughed bitterly, "Tell that to those religious fanatics that think all fags deserve hell." His words were to make himself indifferent to it all, but it only reduced him to more quiet, shaking sobs.

"I never said I'd be dealing with those 'religious fanatics', either," Xigbar replied, meaning that he'd be willing to take Axel out himself (And he could probably do it without breaking a sweat).

"Don't bother...it won't change what has...already happened..." Luxord forced himself to say. He was going to make himself sick, if he didn't stop overriding himself with grief.

"It'll stop him from ever doing it again, though," Xigbar said firmly, his mind beginning to calculate the times during the day that he could catch the little prick and drag him off.

Luxord didn't say anything else. His head was throbbing, he felt ready to throw up, he looked like an absolute mess, and he was beginning to fade in and out of consciousness. He was still so very tired. Luxord's eyelids began growing heavier and heavier, until he saw nothing but blackness completely.


	3. Chapter 3

"Shit!" Xigbar cursed and scooped the boy up into his arms, hitting the stairs and leaving a proverbial trail of fire behind him. It wasn't long before he had Luxord back in his bed, either, the man coming back with a cold cloth to try to sooth the blonde's head and ease his nerves.

Luxord stirred and tried to move away from the cloth at first, making weak pleading noises. He soon stopped and succumbed to the touch of the cool cloth, his stirring reduced to hesitant breathing, leading to a quiet sleep. It was obvious he needed someone.

Xigbar didn't leave his side for one minute and continued to keep the cloth on his head. If there was an emotion in that one eye, it was worry. This kid really scared him sometimes, but that was a result of Xigbar caring about him so much.

Luxord slept soundly for a few hours, only moving to turn to his side once in a while to get comfortable. He finally woke up, but it was slow. His eyes opened in a daze and he stared at Xigbar. It seemed that Luxord was trying to figure out what he was doing or what had happened earlier. "W-wha...?"

Xigbar looked at him and responded quietly, "Just...don't try to move around. Relax a little."

Luxord said nothing and looked away from Xigbar, pulling the covers closer to him. _'Relax, right,_' he thought grimly to himself. _'I haven't relaxed since I came to this school...'_

Xigbar noted the silence and spoke again. "Can I get you anything?"

Luxord shook his head, sinking more into the pillow. "No..."

"If you're sure..." Xigbar trailed off, looking out of the window. The sky was cloudy, and snow had begun to fall hard again. "Then just try to rest some."

The boy looked over at the door, sighing heavily. "I've done enough of that already," he muttered.

"Well, something needs to be done," Xigbar told him. "I don't want to see this kind of stuff happening to you."

"Please, just stop talking about it," Luxord said weakly, closing his eyes. "That's one of the reasons why I didn't want to tell you."

Xigbar said absolutely nothing after that. After all, the one thing they needed to talk about, and Luxord didn't want to talk about it. He wasn't going to force him. The one-eyed man sighed and leaned back in his chair.

Luxord finally sat up from the bed and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to collect himself. "What exactly are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet," Xigbar replied. "I might kill the little punk."

"You can't kill him," Luxord said, giving Xigbar a strange look, "That will only get you in jail."

"Not enough reason to stop me," Xigbar replied, "Besides. I only said I might. Nothing's for certain yet."

"It's better to just tell the Headmaster, right?" Luxord asked, "I mean...he'll just get rid of him if you tell him. I doubt he'll listen to me."

"It could work," Xigbar replied, "Provided he's not in his office doing something unmentionable."

Luxord rolled his eyes. "It's a wonder HE hasn't been fired. He's a bloody lunatic. The whole lot of the school is," he growled, scratching at his arm as the scars were beginning to itch. He still had them bandaged and unable for Xigbar to see, for now, at least.

"It's not like the school board pays attention to what happens in these places. They're too busy giving themselves raises while we work our asses off for peanuts," Xigbar informed.

Luxord sighed, putting his face in his hands and groaning. "I might as well just leave this place entirely."

"Don't give up just because of the assholes. They'll be gone soon enough," Xigbar assured him, "It just might take some time to get rid of 'em."

"Time," Luxord replied solemnly, "Is not something I want to wait for..."

"That's the trouble with you young people," Xigbar said, having one of those anime comedy moments, "Always in a hurry. Even the best of things take time."

Luxord rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. During that time I might not be alive," he pointed out.

"Then you can be put on homebound and not have to go to school," countered Xigbar.

"What point is that? To isolate myself from the world?" Luxord spat. "No thank you."

Xigbar rubbed his temples. "You've got to be the most contrary boy I think I've ever met..." He still wasn't going to quit until he thought of something.

"Sorry," Luxord said, though it was hard to tell if he was being sarcastic. "I think it would be best if I just leave...go to a public school," he sighed. "It's not like I'm all that special to this place."

Xigbar looked at the blonde for a moment. "You realize that the only person who makes my work worth it is you?"

Luxord finally turned his gaze back at him and showed confusion in his eyes. "What's that suppose to mean? You never seemed to like me all that much until recently."

"I was days away from quitting my job, and I would have if you and I hadn't started talking to each other," Xigbar replied. It was hard for him to be affectionate, but for all the world, he was trying.

Luxord sighed and rubbed his forehead, still feeling light headed and bothered by what happened earlier. "It would have saved you a lot of trouble, then, if we hadn't," he muttered quietly to himself.

"I welcome the trouble," Xigbar replied, "It's worth it for me."

"Really?" he gave him a flat look. "How's that?" He didn't mean to be snappish, but the events in his life were starting to get to him. He was so tired, but he was even more tired of sleeping. Luxord decided to try and get out of bed, practically stumbling to the floor, forgetting how dizzy he was, left over from his breakdown hours ago.

Xigbar got out of his chair immediately, getting Luxord to his feet. "You should stay put for a while. Conserve your strength. Unless you're looking for some other place in the house to kick back."

"I don't know what I'm doing anymore," he muttered to himself, feeling worse now than earlier. "I just can't stand being in one place for so long..." He rested his head against Xigbar's shoulder tiredly.

Xigbar slipped an arm around him. "How about we just kick downstairs for a while. We can watch something and try to distract ourselves."

"Fine," he murmured, still tired as he fought to keep his eyes open. He didn't mind being this close to Xigbar and at this point he didn't really care where they were going.

Xigbar didn't hesitate to take him downstairs to the living room, where there was a very comfortable couch awaiting the two of them. Xigbar, though, didn't sit down right away. He headed to the shelf to look for a good movie to watch. "Anything in particular you'd like to see?"

Luxord shrugged, sitting down. "There's a lot of things I haven't seen, so humor me."

"Well, you seem to have a liking for card games...so how about '21'?" He pulled a DVD off of the shelf and opened up the device connected to the television.

Luxord formed a smile. "Sounds good to me," he said, getting comfortable.

Xigbar grinned and put the movie in, letting the disc start up as he grabbed a large bowl of cheese doodles and plowed right into the couch next to Luxord. "Great movie. I think you're gonna like this!" He popped a cheesy corn snack into his mouth.

Luxord raised an eyebrow at him and took a cheese doodle for himself as he watched the movie begin. "I'm sure I will."

"And if you don't enjoy the movie," replied Xigbar with a grin, "Then you'll enjoy the cheese doodles."

"Hmmm, indeed," Luxord replied, eating it.

Xigbar watched as the movie began, putting the bowl between the boy and himself, and from time to time, he'd steal a snack while he watched.

As much as Luxord was enjoying the movie, he was still tired. Near the end, he fell asleep with his head falling over to Xigbar's shoulder again.

Xigbar dared to let out a small smile, watching for a moment longer before carefully shifting and letting Luxord lie down on the couch. He fetched him a pillow and blanket, of course, before sitting down to finish out the rest of the film.

"Xigbar...?" Luxord muttered sleepily, still half asleep. "Why...do you care about me...?"

"Well..." Xigbar replied quietly. "I don't know. I just do. I never really looked into it."

Luxord curled up more in the blanket, thinking over his words. "Do you...remember what happened at Christmas...?" he was referring to the kiss they had exchanged, one at which Luxord hadn't forgotten.

"Oh, yes..." Xigbar let a light blush creep across his face. "I remember. Heh...how could I ever forget?"

"Did it mean anything?" he asked quietly, opening his eyes and pleading Xigbar for an honest answer.

Xigbar searched his soul, finding that he had never been able to bring up the kiss again just because he didn't want to embarrass Luxord, but now that he was asking..."Yes."

Luxord looked relieved, feeling most of his worries and doubts leave him. He smiled and closed his eyes again. "Good...I'm glad..."

"Are you?" Xigbar sounded surprised. He hadn't expected the answer, but it was a more-than-welcome one.

Luxord nodded tiredly, curling up some more. He was already drifting off to sleep again.

Xigbar looked over at the boy, watching him fall asleep and tucking the blanket around him a little more. There was now some thinking to be done on his part, and it might not be finished for a while. Better pop in another movie.


	4. Chapter 4

The young Brit continued to sleep on, scratching at his wrists every once in a while. The poorly made "bandages" were starting to loosen and fall off, which made the cuts more likely to start bleeding, which they were. Which Xigbar noticed when there were light stains on his couch. Not that it bothered him - the cuts did. He frowned and went to get a first-aid kit out of the downstairs bathroom, put off by the stench of vomit that he didn't realize was still there.

Luxord woke up again when he could feel the cuts stinging. "Wha-shit," he whispered, trying to fix the bandages. He looked around for Xigbar, cursing at himself again. "Damn it...he knows now..." Luxord knew he had promised Xigbar that he would stop, but after the events previously, he couldn't control himself.

Upon events, Xigbar came back out of the bathroom with a small white box that sported a large red cross (stereotypical bastard), seeing that Luxord was awake when he sat down next to him. "Luxord..." He repeated the storyline. "You promised me..."

Luxord looked away, ashamed and forcing back tears. "I know...I tried to stop...but I didn't kill myself did I?" he said weakly, keeping his voice in control as best as he could.

Xigbar just sighed and opened the box, pulling out a can of disinfectant spray. "Here, give me your arm..."

Luxord hesitated, looking back over at him and biting his lip. He finally gave him his arm, wincing.

Xigbar was as carefully as he could be while disinfecting, treating, and wrapping his arms, his bandaging job quite a good one. It was a slow process, but it was finished nonetheless.

Luxord didn't say anything as he was being treated and just curled up at the end of the couch when it was over.

Xigbar began to pack everything away meticulously. "I wish you wouldn't do these things to yourself..."

Luxord flinched, staring at the couch, not bringing himself to look at Xigbar again. "I'm sorry..." he said, his voice trembling slightly as he continued to fight the tears that were already starting to fall down his cheeks.

Xigbar looked at Luxord sadly, scooting over enough to wrap his arms around the boy. "Please don't do it again. I hate seeing you put yourself through this..."

Luxord shuddered, burying his face in Xigbar's chest and clinging to him. "I'm sorry...I won't...do it again..." He sobbed quietly, not wanting to let go.

Xigbar ran his fingers smoothly over Luxord's hair, sighing and holding him close. This had to stop. Axel wasn't going to keep this up if he could help it. "Promise me, Luxord."

"I...p-promise..." Luxord swore, trying to calm himself down. Xigbar's fingers running through his hair was starting to help him.

"Alright," Xigbar whispered, "Alright...just calm down..."

"I'm...trying..." Luxord kept his head against Xigbar's chest, his shaking starting to subside. He didn't know how much he could handle anymore today.

It was taking all of Xigbar's willpower not to let his heart hammer out like it wanted to, but he was eventually starting to calm down himself. "Do you feel any better?"

Luxord nodded quietly, wiping at his eyes. He felt terrible for getting Xigbar's shirt wet and he pulled away from him. "I'm sorry..." he stared back at the ground again.

"It's okay," Xigbar replied, "I really don't mind, as long as I managed to help a little..."

Luxord forced a smile, but it faltered as he rubbed his bandaged wrists. "Have you ever...hated your life so much...that you would bring a backup razor?" he asked, looking up at Xigbar, his eyes still watery, but no tears escaped yet.

Xigbar listened to this, crestfallen. He hated to admit it, but... "I've been there."

Luxord rubbed at his eyes, sore and red from crying. "...my head hurts."

Xigbar hugged him gently. "Want some Advil?"

Luxord rested his body against him. "No...I don't want you to leave..." he said quietly.

Xigbar thought about this before commenting. "What if I carried you?"

Luxord's face flushed a bit at that. "Umm...okay," he said meekly.

"Alright then." Without hesitation, the man stood up, taking Luxord into his arms as he did so and trailing out of the living room and into the bathroom. He set Luxord down on the counter as he opened up the medicine cabinet, searching for the bottle.

Luxord watched him quietly, still feeling a bit embarrassed about being carried, but he really hadn't minded it. "Did you find it yet?"

"Right here," Xigbar shook the bottle for effect before opening it up and pulling out two gel tablets. Placing the bottle back into the cabinet, he closed it and filled a paper cup up with water. "There you go." He placed the wares in Luxord's hands.

"Thanks," Luxord said before he put the pill in his mouth and swallowed it with the water. He only wished that it would work instantly. Luxord wasn't so sure if he should jump down from the counter or not, seeing as he had worn himself out and might just fall on his arse.

And that was another reason why Xigbar picked him up again, transporting him back to the couch and sitting down with him. This ended up putting Luxord in his lap. BLUSH.

Luxord was blushing too, staring at his hands as he cuddled against Xigbar, his eyelids half closed. "You won't ever leave me...right?" he asked, biting his lip.

"Not on your life, kid," Xigbar replied over the blush, still holding Luxord. "You can count on it."

The boy snuggled up closer and seemed to finally form a smile again that wasn't forced. "I love you..." he said, a little bit unsure of Xigbar's reaction, but he wanted to say it.

Xigbar had to smile at this, too, having so desired to hear those words for a very long time. "I love you, too." He dared to give the boy a kiss on top of the head.

Luxord's light blush darkened a bit more. He moved his head to see Xigbar more clearly and kissed him back. This was something he had been waiting for most of his time at the school. He needed someone more than anything.

And while Xigbar felt strangely like a pedophile, he also didn't care. He gave up and kissed Luxord yet again. If this is what it took for them to both be happy, so be it.

Luxord smiled softly against his lips and put his arms around his neck and nuzzled him, making himself comfortable again. "Do you think...Xemnas would mind if I moved in here...? I mean...if you want me too..."

"Doubtful that he'd mind as long as you got to school on time each day, and if you're living with me, you'd be arriving a little earlier," Xigbar said, "I don't mind if you don't."

"It would be a whole lot better than going back to my dorm..." Luxord said, trying not to remember the event with Axel. "You'd really not care if I stayed here...?"

"I've got a spare room, don't I?" Xigbar replied with one quirked eyebrow, "I've got room for you, and it's as plain as that. If I'd didn't, then I'd make it."

Luxord chuckled lightly. "All right...then I'm staying," he murmured, drifting off with his head resting on Xigbar's shoulder once again, cuddling closer.

Xigbar smiled a little. Today hadn't turned out how he thought it would have - it worked out much better. And for the sake of Luxord getting sleep, he didn't shift or move, content to stay on the couch and hold him quietly while he replayed the movie on the television.


	5. Chapter 5

After another two hours of sleep, it seemed Luxord had finally got the rest he needed. He opened his eyes groggily and yawned quietly. Lux found that his headache was gone now too and he looked up at Xigbar. "Um...hope I didn't make you uncomfortable..."

"It's no trouble," Xigbar replied, yawning a little. He had drifted off for a few minutes, but waking up before long. "I don't mind."

Luxord looked over at himself, frowning. "I've been in these pajamas for two days..." he grimaced. "This can't be healthy."

"Well...you can borrow one of my t-shirts while I wash those, if you want to," Xigbar offered, "I'll be heading to the school this evening to get your things as it is."

Luxord blinked, surprised that everything was moving so fast, not that he was complaining. "Okay," he said, smiling.

"For now, though, the rush has got me bushed. I think I'd like to stay put for a few more minutes," the man chuckled.

"Sounds fine to me," Luxord said, his head still on his chest. "I don't mind."

"Good," Xigbar laughed a little, "I'm pooped...wanna watch Goldmember?"

Luxord rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Sure, why not? I haven't seen it in a while."

"Good, I put it in about two hours ago, and I really don't want to get up," Xigbar grinned back, hitting the "play" button.

Luxord watched the movie as it came up, glad to be able to stay curled up against Xigbar longer now. He was more than comfortable. "Oh," he began to think about what Xigbar told him a few moments ago. "When you go to get my stuff, I'm coming with you, right?"

"If you'd like," Xigbar replied, "I'll need you to help me pack your stuff anyways."

"Okay," Luxord said, eyes fixed on the TV as he grinned at one of the jokes. As bad as the day had started out for him, at least it was ending well.

Xigbar chuckled again at another joke, finally leaning back his head and going into full-out laughter. The stress was finally gone.

Luxord laughed with him, knowing how ridiculous the movie really was, but liking it all the same. He felt as if the other events in the past few days never happened.

Xigbar laughed until tears came to his good eye, and as he wiped them away, he kept on laughing. "Oh, God, what's wrong with me..."

"More like what's wrong with these guys," Luxord said through his laugh. "The craziness never ends..."

"I know, right?" chortled Xigbar, unable to stop laughing, "I think I'm missing some brain cells."

"I didn't know you could lose any from watching TV. I guess I've been proved wrong," Luxord joked.

"Yep...they're hopping right out the door as we speak! Look at 'em go!" Xigbar tried to stop laughing, and STILL couldn't, wiping away more tears. "They're practically racing each other!"

Luxord shook his head and laughed, wiping at his own eyes from laughing so hard. At this point, he didn't want the movie to end so this could keep on going.

Xigbar would have completely collapsed if he had not been already collapsed on the couch, dying of laughter. "I..I hope you know CPR!"

"I believe we're taking it next semester," Luxord answered between fits of laughter, watching him. "But I'll try anyway if you need it!"

Xigbar just died again. "Basically it's a kiss while breathing out...!"

"Oh, well then," Luxord tried to breathe, probably going to need it as much as him. "I'm sure I'll have no problem doing that!"

Xigbar nodded and couldn't say another word, finally losing it completely and unable to even watch the movie from laughing so hard. He had never seen Austin Powers be this funny. He was hoping that no one had broken in and put weed in the pancake batter while he was asleep the night before.

Luxord shook his head and looked down at the immobilized Xigbar. "Breathe, Xig, breathe," he laughed still, catching his own breath.

"I can't!" the man cried, almost blue in the face from the unrestrained laughter. "I'm gonna die!"

"I'm going to pause the movie so you can take a breather," Luxord said, doing it for both of them because he couldn't stop laughing either. He found the remote and clicked pause, trying to breathe as he almost fell off of the couch.

Xigbar, however, _did_ fall off of the couch, lying on the floor and heaving for his breath. "I think I might still need the CPR..." he puffed.

Luxord rolled his eyes, getting off of the couch and propping his hands on Xigbar's chest. "You sure?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I might..." he breathed, "I just might...I am so short of breath right now I'm trying to decide whether or not it's funny..."

Luxord smirked and lowered his head to kiss him, not sure if actually breathing in his mouth would help much, but maybe the kiss itself would calm him down.

And alas, Luxord's idea did the trick, leaving Xigbar only with a smile. "Much better..."

Luxord blushed slightly, lifting his head. "Good," he smiled, sitting up. "Now we can finish the movie, unless you might have another laughing fit and I have to give you 'CPR' again," he said, waving a hand.

"No, we can try to finish it," Xigbar chuckled, pushing himself up a little and giving Luxord a kiss back. "Well then, I think you're set to go too."

Luxord's cheeks flushed even more from his kiss and got back on the couch with him. "Yeah," he smiled, resting against him again. He pressed the play button and handed Xigbar back the remote.

Xigbar chuckled and put it down on the side of the couch, intent on getting through the rest of the movie without having to get oxygen. He had a big smile on his face, though. So did Luxord, and once the movie was over, he glanced at the time. "You think it's time to...uhhh...get my stuff?" the boy asked. "I need clothes." He speculated at what he was wearing again, looking disapproving of himself.

"I think it's time to get something else for you to wear to the school," Xigbar suggested. "You might not want to be walking around in your PJs."

"My thoughts exactly," Luxord muttered, sighing. "But I don't think walking around in one of your T-shirts will be much help either."

"Maybe a pair of my pants with the legs rolled up and a tight belt?" Xigbar asked, scratching his head. "I don't know if it would be so wise to take you out in shorts."

Luxord rubbed his chin, thinking. "Hmm...I guess the first idea might work. Worth a try, I guess. I'll change into my own clothes once we get back to the school."

"Alright, well...you officially have free run of my closet," Xigbar told him, "And I need to change, too. I'm not sure the Headmaster would smile upon my showing up in a robe."

Luxord nodded. "I agree. Is it all right if I take a shower first?" he asked.

"Go for it. I'll look for something that might fit," Xigbar replied, stretching and getting up carefully. "Wow...I think my muscles forgot how to stretch."

"Your fault for not wanting to get up," Luxord smirked, heading to the bathroom to take his shower. He unwrapped the bandages around his wrist, noticing the blood had stopped and scabs had formed. Sighing, Luxord undressed and started the shower. He felt cleaner already. He winced every now and again when the water stung the bruises on his body. At least no trace of Axel was on him anymore, other than the bruises and cuts.

In the meantime, Xigbar took to his closet like a vulture, pulling out an outfit for himself before diving in to look for something smaller, and shorter, for Luxord. He was certainly having enough trouble. The most he found were a pair of pants and a shirt that were one size smaller, but he could fit into them just fine, which meant they weren't any different from the other articles in his wardrobe. The man muttered finally sitting down to roll up the pant legs and safety-pin them to the appropriate length. Luxord would have to take care of his own shirt sleeves.


	6. Chapter 6

After Luxord finished his shower, he wrapped a towel around himself and found his left over toothbrush from Christmas in the counter above the sink. He brushed and rinsed his mouth, finally peeking his head out of the bathroom. "Did you find anything, yet?" he called.

"As close as I'm going to get," Xigbar called back, "I did my best on the pants, but the underwear might be loose...I'll be in after I finish pinning - OUCH!" He left the statement at that.

Luxord raised an eyebrow. "Don't kill yourself, please." He began to worry about Xigbar. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Xigbar replied, "Just...having fun with pins."

"Sounds exhilarating," Luxord said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He tried on one of Xigbar's robes. It was far too big for him, but he didn't want the older man to see the bruises Axel left. Xigbar hated the redhead enough already. So Lux headed over, trying not to trip.

Xigbar held up the pants, which were well-mended. "Well, these are it. Not totally sure if you're gonna be able to walk around in them without a belt, though..." He tossed them on the bed and dove back into his closet. "Hold on...'

Luxord looked the pants over, deciding that thy weren't bad at all. He waited for Xigbar to find a belt, sitting on the bed.

Pretty soon, a long piece of black leather came out of the closet, landing on the bed next to Luxord. "Alright, there's your belt..." Xigbar called from inside of the closet.

"Got it," Luxord said, still watching him curiously. He took the clothes and started heading back to the bathroom. When Luxord put on the clothes, he had to tighten his belt quite a bit for it to stay up. The boy still had room to tuck in the "long" shirt that Xigbar had given him. Sighing, he folded up his sleeves. "Well...better than nothing..." the Brit said to himself as he walked out. "I'm ready," he called.

Xigbar had finished dressing by this time, coming out of his bedroom. "I see you've made it fit. Good job." He gave him the thumbs up.

Luxord smiled thinly. "It wasn't easy," he said, scratching the back of his head. "At least I don't look like I just woke up anymore." The boy's eyes wondered over to the coat rack and he remembered that he had left his there. He put it on, knowing that it was still freezing outside and it was snowing. Lux slipped into his shoes and looked back at Xigbar. "You sure Xemnas won't care about this?"

"As long as you get to school on time in the mornings? No, he won't mind," Xigbar assured him, getting his coat and pulling it on as he fished in the pocket for his keys.

Luxord shrugged, figuring what Xigbar said was true, so he didn't think any more of it. The boy cringed suddenly, knowing that he would eventually run into Axel once they got there. He was not looking forward to that. Not to mention that he has to tell Xi about him and Xigbar.

Xigbar had made it over to the front door during Luxord's train of thought, now wiggling his keys. "Ready to go?"

"Huh?" Luxord snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at Xigbar. "Oh, yes. I'm ready," he said, smiling sheepishly.

"Good. Bundle up. It's below ten out here..." Xigbar warned as he opened the door, trudging out into the deep snow that came half-way up to his knees. "God, it must've snowed MORE..."

"No kidding," Luxord said, holding his jacket tight against him as he took a step outside and shut the door, the snow just about reaching far past his knees. "Well, I have to say, it's bloody wonderful being short..." he grumbled, trying to walk through it to Xigbar's giant truck without sinking into the snow, head and all. "How are we driving through this?"

"Yes, well, it's not like I drive this thing to work," Xigbar replied, starting the truck and gunning the engine a time or two. "No one needs to know."

"Oh, yes, of course," Luxord grinned. "And no one will even notice it when you park it outside of the school," He said sarcastically as he shut the door and buckled himself in.

"Not if I park behind a snow drift," Xigbar chuckled as he started backing up.

"Right," Luxord replied, chuckling. He watched the snow flakes fall down as it had begun again, but much lighter now. "At this rate we'll be snowed in later tonight."

"I wouldn't doubt it," commented Xigbar as he threw the truck into gear and started driving slowly down the snow-covered road. "It's happened."

"Lovely," Luxord sighed. "That'd be another day of no school at least." The boy also thought that it also meant he had more time to spend with Xigbar. That caused him to smile.

"It's not so bad, as long as the electric doesn't go off," replied the man as he drove.

Luxord sighed. "Great, you just jinxed it. Brilliant," the boy said, though it was obvious that he was being sarcastic.

"Hey, I've got a generator," Xigbar commented, "Give me a break."

Luxord chuckled and smiled. "I know, I'm only kidding." He rested his head against the window, staring at the white consuming the outside. "Hey, Xigbar," he turned his gaze back to the older man, "What will happen if someone finds out about us?" Luxord had to ask it. It had been eating at him for a while.

"There's really no 'what if' about it. They're not going to know a thing," Xigbar assured him as he drove, crawling down the road in that huge truck.

Luxord nodded weakly, still unsure. He couldn't help but worry. He hid it behind a smile when Xigbar tried to reassure him. "All right."

Thanks to the thick treads on the tires, the truck didn't slide when it hit the ice, and before too long, he was parking behind a huge snowdrift near the school. He got out to find himself waist-deep in snow. "Wait until I come around," he told Luxord, adding, "This is pretty deep," before shutting the door and wading around to Luxord's side.

Luxord blinked and tried not to laugh when he saw how deep wit was for Xigbar. He waited for him to come around, raising an eyebrow. "Can you actually make it over here?" he asked, opening his side door.

"Yeah..." Xigbar called, frolicking through the deep white snow like a deer, "Just...wait 'til I get there. You'll have to get on my shoulders, considering the snow is about up to yours...'

Luxord sighed, once again reminded of how short he was for his age. "Right," he said, watching Xigbar getting closer. Just when he thought he grew out of "piggyback rides" he thought sarcastically to himself.

Xigbar eventually got there and stood in front of the door, back turned to Luxord. "Just climb onto my shoulders. I'll put you down before we get inside."

"If you say so," Luxord said, positioning himself on top of Xigbar's shoulders and trying to shut the truck door behind him without falling off.

Xigbar assisted with that, heading off to the school. "Feel free to cling to my head if you need to, but try not to cover up my good eye."

"I'll be careful," Luxord replied, looking down at him. "This doesn't hurt you or anything, does it?" he asked, feeling a bit worried about his weight on Xigbar's shoulders. It wasn't that Luxord was heavy, because he hardly was at all, he just didn't want to inconvenience Xigbar even more.

"It's not a problem," replied the custodian as he waded through the snow. "You just worry about hanging on."

Luxord kept his hold on Xigbar's head so he wouldn't fall back. He forgot how cold it was outside and shivered, keeping his teeth clenched to stop them from chattering. "T-this is c-convenient, isn't it? I think w-winter hates us..."

"Probably..." Xigbar replied as he went, only kept warm by Luxord clinging to his extreme upper half. "It's alright, though. We'll be in the warm soon enough." He continued to stomp across the snow, occasionally pushing snow out of the way with his arms.

Luxord sighed and saw his breath, frowning. He could feel the wind blowing at his face and it stung to breathe. "I think I return winter's feelings," he mumbled, trying to bury his face in Xigbar's hair to keep him warmer.

"I don't blame you," Xigbar concurred as he reached the cleared-out space in front of the school, putting Luxord down before opening the door.

Luxord continued to shiver and held the jacket closer to him, hurrying inside the building. "Thank God for central heating," he muttered quietly, rubbing at his face to try to warm it. His hands were freezing, so it didn't help much. The boy looked around and saw that school was still in session, which meant no running into Axel. Yet.


	7. Chapter 7

"Whatever the case," Xigbar brushed himself off and stamped the snow from his feet, "Lead the way. We haven't got much time before the halls are flooded."

The boy nodded and began heading up the stairs to get to the dorms. When they reached the correct floor, Luxord stoped at his room and hesitated. "Erm-I think I forgot to lock it when I left," he muttered, hoping Axel wasn't waiting inside. He finally turned the knob and opened the door, staring at his empty room. Luxord let out a sigh of relief and walked in. "Well, at least I didn't lock myself out."

Xigbar had walked in, snatching an empty box from the hall before doing so. "How much stuff have you got to pack? I need to know how many boxes I need to snag."

"Not much," Luxord said, studiying his room. "Just my clothes, the school uniform, and other minor accessories," he told Xigbar. "I don't have very many things." Luxord smiled thinly after his words.

"Well in that case, this box is just the right size," Xigbar said, putting it down in the middle of the floor, "Let's pack."

Luxord nodded quietly as he opened up his closet and folded his clothes neatly into the box. When he was done with that, he packed up his bathroom supplies in a plastic bag and carefully put it in, making sure everything fit. He wasn't a neat freak, he just wanted to have room for everything. Luxord had almost forgot he needed to change and took a thick sweater and pants and hurried back into the bathroom to change. He smiled sheepishly when he came out, placing Xigbar's borrowed clothes neatly into the box as well.

When the boy's eyes met the Christmas panguin plush, the first gift ever given to him on Christmas, or any event. Xigbar had given it to him. He smiled and picked it up, studying it. "I'm not so sure this one will fit in the box after I put the rest of my stuff in. I'll just hold onto it."

"Alright, whatever fits." Xigbar hefted up the box. "Come on. We're gonna go talk to Xemnas about your living arrangements."

Luxord raised an eyebrow. "You sure he's not...occupied?" he asked, referring to the Headmaster's insnaity moments with a particular song. He followed after, panguin plush in hand.

"OH...I'm not sure about that. But if I sing a few rounds with him, he'll be in an even better mood." Xigbar chuckled, knowing this would likely scare the shit out of anyone who saw it.

Luxord tried to get the vision out of his head. "Please don't, you'll only make things worse, I think. Atleast for my fragile, innocent mind," he said, feigning his "innocence". as they walked along. The bell rang for class to end and he flinched, knowing Axel would be coming out of his classroom. Luxord hoped he wouldn't see him.

"Yeah, well... you be good. I'll be back." The cyclops disappeared into the office door.

"Uh, okay." Luxord watched him leave. _"Please let Axel go straight to his dorm without seeing me. Please..."_ he prayed to himself, desperately hoping for Xigbar to come out soon.

No suck luck for Luxord. There came Axel, strutting his stuff. And the first thing he saw was Luxord.

"Huh, so you finally turned up. Where were you all day?"

Luxord spun around at the voice he was all too familiar with. His eyes went wide, but they quickly turned to slits. "It's really none of your business," he snapped, gripping the plush tighter beside him. "But just so you know, I'm no longer going to be in my dorm." The boy smirked at that realization. "So you'll have to find a new toy."

"How sad..." Axel smirked, "I guess I'm just going to have to toy around you while you're still here, then. I haven't got a lot of choice until I find out where you went."

Luxord gritted his teeth and took a step away from him. "Not a good idea, considering Xemnas is right behind this door."

"Really?" Axel noted the closed door, which meant that Xemnas was busy. Any other time, he'd usually keep the door partially cracked. "I don't think he's gonna notice anything." He grinned cattishly and crept toward Luxord.

Luxord continued to back away from Axel, trying not to show the fear in his expression. His eyes gave it away though. "Go away, Axel. I mean it."

"What, you can't say you're scared of me already..." Axel grinned, "I've barely just begun."

The blonde gritted his teeth, dropping the plush and clutching his fists. There was no way Luxord was going to give into Axel. Not without a fight. He raised his fists. "Come near me one more time and I _will_ ruin your face," he snarled.

Axel smirked evilly. "Oh yeah, like you ruined my face the last time?"

"Buggar off, Axel!" Luxord warned. "I'm not in the mood to put up with your ridiculous obsession!" He was hoping Xigbar could hear this by now. Any longer with Axel and Luxord feared he wouldn't be able to get away.

At this point, a miracle occurred: Axel suddenly looked at Luxord strangely, smiled pseudo-sweetly, and turned to walk away. The reason? Xigbar was right behind him, looking at the redhead with his hands on his hips.

Luxord stared, obviously confused, until he looked up to see Xigbar. "Oh, how was the meeting with Xemnas?" he asked, trying not to show how shook up he was at that moment.

"Quite well, actually," Xigbar admitted as he stretched out his arms and cracked his fingers. "He said he didn't have a problem."

"Really?" It took a while for it to register in Luxord's head. His small smile turned into a large grin. "I guess he's not such a bad Headmaster after all." He glanced down at the penguin plush that he had dropped when facing Axel. Luxord picked it up again, brushing it off. "So, what now?" he asked, looking back up at the taller, older man.

"Well...I guess we go home before the snow starts falling again and we're stuck _here_," Xigbar reasoned, "Unless you'd _like_ to be stuck here until we're plowed out several days later."

The boy chuckled. "No, I think leaving now is a far more better plan." Luxord looked around for a moment. "Oh, can I tell Xi before we go, though?"

"If you hurry," Xigbar said, "I'm going to go get the truck started up. Meet me outside." He figuratively skipped out the entrance, leaving Luxord to do his thing.

Luxord watched him go and hoped Xi was at her dorm. As he made his way up the steps, he had forgotten all about Axel. Which was both a good and bad thing. Luxord found her dorm room door and knocked.

Xi came to the door and poked her head out of it, a quieting expression on her face, a sober one. Almost like she had been expecting someone who never came. "Oh, hey, Luxord...where were you today?" Luxord saw her expression and felt terrible for not telling her sooner.

"Well...erm...I was with Xigbar today," he answered. "I"ll be...staying at his place for now on, instead of my dorm. I'm about to head out again...just thought I'd tell you."

"...Oh...well...okay," replied Xi rather hesitantly. "I'm...I've got to finish some homework now, so...I guess I'll just...see you in class." She closed the door without a word and sank down behind it. Luxord flinched, his expression hurt when she shut the door. He slowly turned around to walk back. Xigbar was probably freezing outside waiting for him. He took a deep breath and started down the steps again, letting out a sad sigh. What was she so upset about?


End file.
